[Editor's note: On September 19, 2008, DayJet Services, LLC, discontinued its jet services and canceled all future flights, the result, the company said, of its "inability to arrange critical financing in the midst of the current global financial crisis." DayJet also said it was unable to honor customer reservations or issue refunds.]

Taking care of an airplane is a big job, which is why many owners turn it over to management companies.
As part of the arrangement, these companies often charter out the aircraft. Most of their charter customers are legitimate business travelers, but the government is now warning business jet charter operators about a different type of clientele-drug smugglers.

Before booking my first charter flight in 2001, I visited industry Web sites, drove to the airport to sit in some airplanes, got advice from a reputable broker and read through a pile of operators' brochures and guides. I felt as well prepared as any new customer could be.

When you buy a seat on a commercial flight, the choice of airline can matter less than the departure and arrival times. But when you book a charter flight, picking the operator is the most important decision you can make. The wrong choice can cost you lots of time and money, or even create safety risks.

Many business jet charter operators these days are opting to focus on a single aircraft type. The Eclipse 500 has received much publicity because high-profile businesses, such as Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet and Concord, Mass.-based Linear Air, have recently launched air-taxi services with that model. But an increasing number of operators are now focusing on another aircraft: the Cirrus SR22.

If you fly often via business jet charter, you know that the peak travel days sprinkled throughout the calendar can mean a limited choice of aircraft as well as price increases. But a little planning can go a long way toward minimizing both drawbacks.

Tired of the hassles of commercial air travel-or perhaps of the responsibilities of owning an aircraft? Maybe it's time to play the jet card.
Jet cards provide guaranteed access to flight time aboard private aircraft without the "deadhead" or repositioning fees associated with charter, and without the huge upfront investment or long-term commitment that go with jet ownership.

The Securities and Exchange Commission issued an order suspending the trading of shares of online charter broker Connect- A-Jet from October 1 to 12 because of alleged "deceptive practices." Trading resumed after Connect-A-Jet filed Form 15c2-11 to reinstate the quoting of its stock with the SEC, but the commission won't comment on whether the firm remains under investigation.

Don't expect charter-flight Web sites to offer the kind of one-stop booking you get with the airlines on Orbitz, Expedia and Travelocity. Nonetheless, many such sites now provide tools and data that make planning and arranging an air charter flight easy.

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“When you get into the larger aircraft it becomes like a hotel, with dozens of staff supporting the plane based in a galley area down below. You have very comprehensive cooking facilities, and on larger aircraft we have looked at theatres, with spiral staircases and a Steinway grand piano. The limitations for what you can put inside a plane are pretty much the limits of physics, and even money cannot always overcome that. Even so, people are still always trying to push [the limits]. ”